agile meetings - outformationsoutformations.com/resources/outformationsagilemeetingsslides.pdf ·...

Agile Meetings:Facilitating High Performance

Task-Oriented Meetings

David ChilcottOutformations, Inc.

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• Setup & Context• Agile Meetings? What the heck?• Agile Meeting Structure• Exercise: Meeting Business Value • Agile Meeting Process/Practices• Key Points Review• Closing/Evaluation

Agenda

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• Meeting Questions• Why do we care?• Introductions• Housekeeping• Desired Outcomes• Questions/Comments/Concerns?

Setup & Context

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• How many of you here enjoy your team meetings?

• How many think that most of the meetings you attend are a waste of time?

• How many are able to actually get work done in meetings instead of just talking about the work?

• How many of you leave your meetings feeling more energized and enthusiastic?

Setup & Context

Questions…

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• Most of the interesting work now requires a team.

• Most of us have the feeling that the meetings that we attend could be improved.

• Most of us could stand to improve our own meeting skills and knowledge.

• Ineffective meetings are expensive and demoralizing.

Setup & Context

Why do we care?

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Developer, Coach, Team Lead, Business Analyst/Technical Architect

Background: Diverse -- Multiple Careers– Founder and president of Outformations, Inc.– Agile Business Consulting/Training/Coaching– Agile Enterprise JumpStart– Custom Business Application Design/Development– Training in Group Dynamics, Facilitation, NVC– Certified ScrumMaster in 2006

Organizational Affiliations– Founder of the Bay Area Agile Project Leadership Network– Former president, Bay Area Association of Database Developers

Husband, Step-father, Grand-father – Active in healing, diversity, & social justice work

Setup & Context

About me - David Chilcott

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• Name

• Where you work

• How many meetings do you participate in each week?

Setup & Context

Check-In: Who are We?

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• Presentation materials available online• Participate! Questions!• Cell phones on stun• Instructor will facilitate:

– quell the loquacious– encourage the quiet

• Remember: different people have different learning styles...

Setup & Context

Housekeeping

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• Survey/Overview/View from 60,000 feet• Difficult challenge

We'll be covering a LOT of Material • It is deliberately ambitious• Be aware that you may feel frustrated or

confused• Feel free to ask questions

Setup & Context

Context & Expectations:

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By the end of this session you will have:• A better understanding of the what Agile

Meetings are and how they can help you improve your business or teams effectiveness.

• A better understanding of the range and depth of Agile Meeting Practices so that you can continue learning about it.

Setup & Context

Desired Outcomes:

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• Any questions?

• What’s puzzling you so far?

Setup & Context

Questions/Comments/Concerns?

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Setup & Context• Agile Meetings? What the heck?• Agile Meeting Structure • Exercise: Meeting Business Value• Agile Meeting Process/Practices• Key Points Review• Closing/Evaluation

Agenda

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• Agile Meetings and Agile Work • Business Case• Agile Meeting Mental Models• Questions/Comments/Concerns?

Agile Meetings? What the heck?

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How could meetings be like Scrum/Agile?

• Meeting = Iteration/Sprint• Agenda = Product Backlog • Agenda Item = Feature or Function or Story or Task• Desired Outcome = User Story• Agenda Item Owner = Product Owner• Shared Display = Big Public Display of Information• Meeting Participants = Promiscuous Pairing• Meeting Evaluation = Retrospective


Agile Meetings and Agile Work:

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• Increase Meeting Effectiveness/ROI• Team Learning• Problem-Solving• Relationship Building• Group and Individual Skill Building

• Improve the Delivery of Value• Reduce Meeting Waste (Lean Principles)

• Personal/Personnel Time• Opportunity Cost• Organizational Damage

• Reduce Meeting Costs


Business Case for Agile Meetings

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Average hourly rate of your group members $100/hrAverage number of members per meeting 5 peopleTypical meetings duration 2 hoursMeetings you attend each week 5/week

$8.33/min $500/hr $5000/week $250,000/yearAssume Agile Meetings improve our performance by:

10 % Saves $ 25,000/year20 % Saves $ 50,000/year30 % Saves $ 75,000/year40 % Saves $ 100,000/year50 % Saves $ 125,000/year


Reduce Meeting Costs

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• Dimensions of Success Balance Results, Process, and Relationship

• Shared ResponsibilityFacilitated Self-Organization

• Problem Solving Team Learning

• Context, not ControlFrom Netflix


Agile Meeting Mental Models

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Dimensions of Success

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Balance Results, Process, and Relationship


Shared Responsibility

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Facilitated Self-Organization


Problem Solving Spaces

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ProblemSpace

SolutionSpace

Distinguish between Understanding

and Agreement

ImplementationSpace


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(from Netflix Freedom & Responsibility Culture)

• Any questions?




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Setup & ContextAgile Meetings? What the heck?

• Agile Meeting Structure • Exercise: Meeting Business Value• Agile Meeting Process/Practices• Key Points Review• Closing/Evaluation

Agenda

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• Context: TASK-ORIENTED Meetings • Meeting Structure Overview • Meeting Roles & Responsibilities• Questions/Comments/Concerns?

Agile Meeting Structure

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TASK-ORIENTED Meeting

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Task Oriented Meeting

Issues, Concerns, Problems

Goals & Objectives

People Resources

• Purpose:Why is this meeting being held (e.g., Sharing information, solving problems, resolving differences)?

• Stakeholders: Who are the people or groups affected by the potential decisions in this meeting? What would be the "win" for each?

• Participants:Who's in the room? Who's NOT in the room? Why or Why Not?

• Goals & Objectives:What are the specific desired end results or specific deliverables for THIS meeting?


Agile Meetings have:

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• Structure:Implicit or explicit structure Explicit with agreement tends to work better

• Agenda:What topics/issues need to be addressed to reach the Goals and Objective(s)?All else being the same do the highest value items 1st

Agenda Items have:• an order (planned and/or actual)• a Desired Outcome• an Owner or Owners• criterion for determining a successful outcome.• a Time Limit


Agile Meetings have:

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Meeting Structure Overview

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5 – 10 min

50 – 100 min

2 – 5 min

Varies

Varies


Pre-Meeting Overview

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Purpose Room Arrangement

Context Assessment Decision-Making Method

Stakeholder Analysis Detailed Agenda

Desired Outcomes Meeting Functions

Topics/Issues Meeting Supplies

Attendees & Roles

• Check-In:• Housekeeping:• Establish the "Rules of Engagement"• Review Last Meeting Items:• Review Agenda:• Review Meeting Desired Outcomes:• Setup Parking Lot:• Review Pressing Risks/Issues/Concerns/Opportunities:


Meeting Startup Overview

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• Agenda Items have TypesReport Back/Info Sharing

• NOT a Conversation - One way information flowIdea Capture

• Conversations for Possibility• Brainstorming is a good example, the goal is to maximize creativity - to

generate ideas not make decisionsProblem Solving

• Conversations for Opportunity• The goal is not to reach a final decision but to narrow down a field of ideas

or options. You gather info, analyze, and generate required next stepsDecisions to be made

• Conversations for Agreement/Decision• The goal is to decide and/or to commit.


Meeting Agenda Overview

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Agenda Item Types CAN change. Notice when they do!

Agenda Items have Types• Agenda Items have Owners• Agenda Item Owner defines "Done“

Criteria for successDesired Outcome from THIS meetingBy the end of this meeting, we will have...

• A list of _________________ ... so that we can _______________• A plan for _______________ ... so that we can _______________• An awareness of __________... so that we can _______________• An understanding of _______... so that we can ________________• A decision on ____________ ... so that we can _______________• An agreement on _________ ... so that we can _______________


Meeting Agenda Overview (continued)

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Notice how similar these are to User Stories!

• Review Next Steps/Action Items• Setup or Confirm Next Meeting• Perform Meeting Evaluation

What did we do well?What could we do differently or better


Meeting Closing Overview

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• Meeting Take-down • Send out meeting notes • Follow-up on any other items


Post-Meeting Overview

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• Facilitator - Guides meeting process• Recorder/Scribe - Keeps group memory• Time-Keeper - Helps group keep time agreements• Spokesperson - Represents group to others• "Vibes watcher" - Monitors how people are feeling• Agenda Item Owner - Defines Desired Outcome and

"Just Good Enough"• Subject Matter Expert (SME) - Provides information

and expert advice to group• Meeting Participant - Shares responsibility for meeting

success


Meeting Roles & Responsibilities

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• Any questions?




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Setup & ContextAgile Meetings? What the heck?Agile Meeting Structure

• Exercise: Meeting Business Value• Agile Meeting Process/Practices• Key Points Review• Closing/Evaluation

Agenda

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How to measure Meeting Business Value?• 5 – Setup and instructions

Self-Organize into groups of 4 or 5 Make meeting roles explicitAt least: Facilitator – Time-keeper – Spokesperson

• 10 – Brainstorm ideas onto sticky notesGroup and Prioritize them

• 10-Report back to the group• 8 – Debrief/Evaluation• 2 – Collect and Return sticky notes

Exercise – 35 Min

Meeting Business Value

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Setup & ContextAgile Meetings? What the heck?Agile Meeting Structure Exercise: Meeting Business Value

• Agile Meeting Process/Practices• Key Points Review• Closing/Evaluation

Agenda

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• Have an Agenda - send it out the day before if you can• Have a Shared Display - whiteboard, flip-chart, projector,

online meeting• Distinguish between Meeting Content and Meeting

Process• Flexible and Fluid Roles/Responsibilities• Rotate Roles Explicitly • Active Facilitation • Consult with Agenda Item Owner when starting each

new Agenda Item

Agile Meeting Process/Practices


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• Practice "Just Good Enough"• Timebox EVERYTHING! • Start meetings on time

Don't penalize the people who made the effort to be on time• End meetings on time

Like Sprints meetings should end on time - There is ALWAYS more to do than available attention

• Paraphrase to ensure Understanding - TDD of meetings• Distinguish between Understanding and Agreement• ALWAYS end with a Meeting Evaluation (Retrospective)

Especially the "How to..." towards action/solution



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• Any questions?




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Setup & ContextAgile Meetings? What the heck?Agile Meeting Structure Agile Meeting Process/Practices

• Key Points Review• Closing/Evaluation

Agenda

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• Clear Agenda/Process There is always a process - explicit works better!

• Clear and Flexible Roles/ResponsibilitiesMembers switch Roles/Responsibilities based on context/need

• Clear Desired Outcomes Agenda Item Owner decides what "Just Good Enough" means

• Good Time Management Time Boxing/Improves Estimates/Expectations/ “Velocity”

• Use Appropriate Tools Select the right process for the task at hand

• Meeting EvaluationsContinuous Improvement through Self-ReflectionMini-Retrospectives for each meeting

Key Points Review

Key Points Review

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• Any questions?


Key Points Review


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Setup & ContextAgile Meetings? What the heck?Agile Meeting Structure Agile Meeting Process/PracticesKey Points Review

• Closing/Evaluation

Agenda

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• Closing Comments • Materials & Hand-outs• Pointers to Additional Resources• Plug for my October Training

or ask me about an In-House Training• Evaluation (+/<>) (Please fill out

Closing/Evaluation

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• MOST IMPORTANT: The central organizing principle: Incremental Self-Improvement.

Establish mechanism for incremental improvementfocused on behaviors

• Find the balance between Process Skills and Content Learning

Meetings, like Sprints, require skills and practiceExpect the your team to get better over time with experience

What did you learn tonight? A highlight or insight?

Closing/Evaluation

Closing Comments:

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Books:• Collaboration Explained: Facilitation Skills for Software Project Leaders

by Jean Tabaka• Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making – Sam Kaner• Extreme Facilitation: Guiding Groups Through Controversy and Complexity

by Susanne Ghais

Training:• Interaction Associates - http://www.interactionassociates.com• Outformations Agile Meeting Training - http://www.outformations.com

Meeting Templates: Available at http://www.outformations.com• Presentation Notes• MindMap Meeting Template• Meeting Agenda Outline• Facilitator and Facilities Checklists

Closing/Evaluation

Meeting Resources:

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Please fill out the BayAPLN Event Feedback form

• What did we do well? What Worked?

• What could we do differently or better?

Evaluation:

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• David Chilcott – [email protected]

• http://www.outformations.com

• 510.655.7122

Thanks…

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agile meetings - outformationsoutformations.com/resources/outformationsagilemeetingsslides.pdf ·...

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